Electrically-operated speed-controlling device for trains.



L. W. HORNE & W. N. CRANE. ELECTRICALLY OPERATED SPEED CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.5,1913-.

1 1 2,224. Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

, flwm gyw zkedr 'A TTORNE "whereby the brakes are applied when a train "ration of our improved apparatus,

UNITED STATES PATENT ,FFIGE.

LAWRENCE WESLEY HORNE AND WARREN NOBLE CRANE, 0 NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED SPEED-CONTROLLING,DEVICE FOR TRAINS Application filed August 5 1913. Serial No. 788,039.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LAwmcNcr; WnsLnY HORNE andWAnnnN NOBLE CRANE, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at New York city, in the county of Kings and State of New York, and at New York city, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electrically Operated Speed-Controlling Devices for Trains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrically operated speed controlling devices for trains, and our improvements have particular reference to automatically functioning means passes a signal set at danger at greater than a predetermined rate of speed. But when the speed of travel of the train is below that predetermined rate then our' control' device will not operate to cause, the.

brakes to be applied.

In. brief it is the purpose of this device to correct the neglect'of the engineer in omitting to slacken speed when approaching a danger signal, but to not interfere with the engineers control of his train if he is properly observing the signal indications.

n the drawing: Figure 1 is a partially diagrammatic, and partially sectional eleapplied to a locomotive, and in conjunction with track contact members. Fig. 2 is an end' view, in part, of the same; and Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of the track con.- tact devices.

The equipment in our control device includes the track contact members a, and I),

which may be placed beside-the rail, in'parallel planes, one in advance of the other. The distance which separates members a and b is determined by the speed at which a train is permitted to travel between said members. The member a, is composed of separated sections a, bonded in a particular manner as shown in Fig. 3. These contact members are bonded by relay disks 0. Brushes d e, included in local circuits 7 g, respectively, and carried by a train, are adapted to traverse the contact members a and to be connected thereby whenever said contact members are themselves connected through the agency of relay disks 0. V A rearward brush, it is out of alinement with contacts a, and isheld normally elevated out of passing contact with member I) by a spring Specification of Letters Patent.

in dashpot j, a-nd is further adapted to be forced downwardly for the purpose ofv making contact with member 0 -by air pressure from the main reservoir, entering through a magnetically operated valve [6. Brush it has a supporting stem It carrying a piston if in dashpot j and said stem. It also carries a relay disk it" for a purpose to be described. hereinafter.

located in pairs in the manner shown in the drawings, the first device as I, encountered by a'train operating in the normal direction of trailic is composed of contact segments, normally free of connection with each other. When the preceding block is occupied the track relay 0 is deiinergized by the usual bridging of an insulated rail section by the wheels of the train occupying that block. The dropping of the relay disks c, connects the contact segments, so that brushes 1/. 0, carried by the locomotive of an approaching train, may be thereby electrically connected together.

The contact members a are bonded in a manner to cause the'brushes cl and e to short circuit the battery y when the disks 0 have Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

A magnetically operated valve Z, included in the circuit 7",

been dropped bv an interruption of the track circuit. The arrangement is such that there are always two sections between a pair of bonded members, those two sections also having their own similar bonding'a'rrangement. The brushes (1 and e are normally held at rail level and their location on the locomotive is so arranged that they cannot both touch any one contact segment at the same time, neither can they be electrically connected by crossovers,'turnouts, or any special work. The additional contact brush It is normally held clear by dashpot spring Therefore if a block section approached is clear, brushes d and (2 cannot be connected and brush it remains in position shown. When the preceding block section is occupied, brushes (Z and e are connected by track devices a and battery 9' is short circuited and the magnet valve 70 is de energized, opening the valve and admitting main reservoir pressure to the dashpot, causing spring 2' to be compressed, thereby dropping brush it to operative position. At the operative position a Contact disk It, carried BEST AVAILABLE COP by 3*- dashpot piston rod h causes the energizing oi magnet valve k, which shuts oif main reser\'-"* figcssure from the dashpot. The return of brush to normal position is performed by permitting air pressure to gradually exhaust from the dashpot to atmosphere as through dashpot orifice h, the entire operation affording a method of maintaining brush h in its operative position or a definite predetermined period in conformity with a predetermined train velocity permitted in approaching the second track device b.

When the train speed be within the proper limits, brush it will have moved clear and therefore will not make contact on the second track device 6, and no application of the train brakes occurs.

- If the engineer does not properly control his train at any point at, or beyond, the distance signal, he will not consume suflicient time to permit brush it to move clear and brushes h and d are then connected by track device b. Device b may simply be constructed of a plain rail section, and it is placed in alinement with brush h, whereas the-first track device a is in alinement with brush 2, brush (1 having sufiicient width to make contact with both track deand brushes included in said electrical circuit, a second valve, an electrlcal c1rcu1t and a source of electric supply for said. valve,

and brushes included in said electrical cir-- cuit, means operated by said first mentioned valve for moving one of 3nd brushes into the plane of the other sai *brushes, means for short circuiting the source of supply for saidfirst mentioned valve to obtain said movement of said movable brush and means for short circuiting said movable brush with another said brush for operating said second valve. r

- 2. A device having I plurality of independent electrical circuits, a magnetically means operated by said valve for short circuiting the other said valve to obtain an operation thereof.

3. An electrical speed controlling device comprising a plurality of brushes, a source of electric current supply for said brushes. an electric circuit in which each said brush is included, sectional track contact devices adapted to be bonded together as desired and to be engaged by said brushes, another and movable brush. a pressure operated rod secured to said brush for holding it normally away from the plane of contact, an electrically operated valve in said first mentioned circuit for controlling the pressure for said rod, and means for urging the return of said movable brush and an electrically operated relief valve arranged in a train line air pipe and means operated by said movable brush and one said first mentioned brush for opening the circuit through said relief valve as herein specified.

4. An electrical speed controllin' device comprising a plurality of metallic rushes,

electric circuits in which said brushes are included, a track contact device composed of a plurality of separated sections, in the path of certain of said brushes, an electrical circuit adjacent to said sections, a solenoid in said circuit and adapted to electrically connect alternate contact sections and certain of said brushes by the interruption of the electrical circuit through said solenoid as and for the purpose set forth.

A device having two batteries, three brushes electrically connected to said batteries, a pressure release valve in the electrical circuit of one said battery, means for moving one said brush, an electrically op-- 'erated .valve in another said electrical circuit and adapted to control the movement of said movable brush, means adj acent to 'a' track and operable upon said brushes fol LAVRENCE -WESLEY HORNE. \VARREN NOBLE CRANE. Y

Witnesses:

' EMMA I. MCCARTHY,

JOHN Hacnm'r. 

